Grain-platform for harvesters



(No Model.) l 4 Sheets-Sheet 1. L. MILLER.

GRAIN PLATFORM FOR HARVESTERS. No. 434,641. t Patented Aug. 19,- 1890.

Q 4 INVENToR MA M 4 www@ Attorney (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

L. MILLER. GRAIN PLATFORM POR HARVESTERS.

110.434,641. Patentewc/lvJAug. 19, 1890.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

. L. MILLER.

GRAIN PLATFORM FOR HARVESTERS.

Patented Aug. 19, 1890.

llllllllllI-lilllllllllllllll l INVENTOR Attorney.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4. L. MILLER.

GRAIN PLATFORM FOR HARVESTERS. No. 434,641.

IIIIIIIIIHIHL tRefv A l l x Il Illllll itam-ey n: mms mens co.. mmcrumu.. wAsHmnmN n c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEWIS MILLER, OF AKRON, OHIO.

GRAIN-PLATFORM FOR HARVESTERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Iatent N o. 434,641, dated August 19, 1890. Application filed January 25, 1887. Serial No. 225,497. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEWIS MILLER, of Akron, county of Summit, and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Grain-Platforms for llarvesters, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification.

My invention relates to' the construction of the platform-carrier frames of harvestingmachines; and the objects of my invention are, first, to so construct the frame-work as to cheapen its construction and to facilitate the building up of the same; secondly, to relieve the mechanism for adjusting the height of the platform from such strains as are incident to traveloveruneven ground, and thirdly, to insure the proper movement of the grain along the platform and upon the elevatorapron and to vary the width or depth ofthe platform-carrier and elevator apron so as to accommodate different lengths of grain.

To the above purposes my invention consists, first, in a platform the rear sill and the grain and stubble ends of which are formed of a curved tubular bar which is connected to and support-s the front sill and cutting apparatus; secondly, in an elastic cushion interposed between the platform, and the connections for adj usting the same; thirdly, in the peculiar and novel arrangement of an adjustable guard upon the platform, and also in the peculiar and novel arrangement of an adjustable guard upon the elevator-apron, all as hereinafter described and claimed.

In order that my invention may be fully .understood, I will proceed to describe it with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a plan view of a carrier-frame constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a similar viewof the same with the adjustable guard applied thereto. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the construction shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a `grain end elevation of the machine. Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 5 5 of Fig. l, showing the attachment for cushioning the adjusting mechanism. Fig. G is a sectional view of the same on the line'G 6 of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a plan View of the connections for transmitting motion from the drive-wheel and for adjusting the platform, as shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 8 is asectional view on the line 8 8 of-Fig. 2. Fig. 9 is a perspective View of a portion of the adjustable guard, showing the connection of the guard to the end bar of the platform. Fig. 10 is a perspective View of the attachment between the guard for the elevator-belt and the platformguard shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 1l is a sectional view on the line 11 ll'of Fig. l. Figs. 12 and 13 are detached views illustrating details of the construction of the cushioning attachments. Figs. lat and 15 are detached views illustrating details of the construct-ion of the platform.

In the said drawings, A designates the front sill of the platform-frame, upon which the endless platform-carrier B is mounted, so as to run over the rollers l) b in the usual manner, the said rollers being journaled at their rear ends in a frame-piece b', which extends longitudinally of the platform frame, as shown in Figs. l, 8, and 11.

C designates the tubular bar which forms the rear sill of the platform-frame,and which is bent or curved at its ends, as shown in Fig. 15, so as to be continued to form the grain end C and stubble end C2 of the platformframe, as shown in Fig. 1. The curved portion of the rear sill C at the rear corner of the stubble end of the platform passes through a curved socket in an angular casting H, to be hereinafter more particularly described, while the forward ends of the tubular sections C C2 are inserted, respectively, into tubular sockets c 051 in corresponding castings G J, also to be more particularly described hereinafter. The inner or stubble end of the rear sill C is extended obliquely upward, as shown at c2, and serves to support at its end the rear portion of the gearing for operating the cutter-bar and carrier and elevator-apron, as hereinafter more fully described. The angular casting Il, referred to as having a curved socket for the reception of the inner rear corner of the platform-frame bar O2, and which is secured thereto by suitable bolts for stiffening the frame at that point, has also a sleeve cformed onit for the reception of a shaft E, and at its forward end is provided with a perforated lug or ear h, engaging a bifurcated ear cl on the rear end IOC of the sleeve D, a pin d passing horizontally through the ears (l and h, serving to pivot the sleeve D to the casting H, and through the latter to the frame, in line with thc sleeve c6. The sleeve D has a shaft E journaled in it, which at its forward end is connected by a universal joint at e, in the same transverse line with the pin d', with the shaft E, and forms in connection therewith a tumblingshaft, permitting relative movement of the sleeves D and c6 on the pin d. The rear end of the shaft E carries a gear-wheel e', which mesheswith a gear-pinion f upon the rear end of a crank-shaft F, extending parallel with the shaft E and working in tubular bearings or sleeves c4 c5, formed on the castings Il G, respectively. The casting Gis also formed with a lateral extension g, in which is formed a recess to receive the adjusting mechanism, to be hereinafter particularly described.

vUpon the forward end of the sleeve D is formed a shield or casing D', within which is placed a beveled gear-wheel (not shown) secured to the main carrying-wheel. This gearwheel is engaged by a bevel gear-pinion e2, fast on the front end of shaft E', so that as the wheel revolves its motion is transmitted to the shaft E and thence to thc shaft F, and through a crank-disk f on the front end of the shaft F and a connectingrod f2 the movement of shaft F is transmitted to the cutter-bar f 3, so as to reciprocate the latter.

A sprocket-wheel f4 is mounted upon the shaft F near its rear end, around which a drive-chain is designed to be run to a sprockof the platform is formed by a casting J, t0

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which the front sill A is bolted, and upon which the tubular socket c is formed, as shown. This casting J is also formed with a rearwardly-extending lug j, which is perforated to forni a bearing for the extension 7c of an arm K, upon which the grain-wheel L is mounted. An adjusting-rod c9 extends 1ongitudinally beneath the platform, and is connected at one end by a chain to the arm K and at its opposite end by a similar chain passing over a pulley c7 on the bar C2 to the shield D', so that when the inner end of the platform is raised or lowered the outer end shall be correspondingly adjusted.

Upon the front side of the shield D is formed an extension cl2, having gear-teeth on its inner side, said extension lying within the recess of the extension g, before referred to. M designates a rod which extends downward into said recess, and upon the lower end of this rod is formed a worm m, which engages the teeth upon the extension d2, the arrangement being such that when the rod M is turned the inner end of the platform is raised or lowered so as to vary the height of the eutter-bar as required. The upper part of the rod M is surrounded by an elastic cushion N, which is confined between a shoulder m on the rod and inwardly-extending flanges C9 e at the upper end of the recess in the extension g. devices for adjusting the height of the platform are relieved of all strains incident to the jolting of the machine over uneven ground. A rod M is connected to the upper end of rod M by a knuckle-joint m2 and extends upward to within easy reach from the drivers seat, the purpose of said rod being to impart the required turning movements to the rod M.

Upon the platform is mounted an adjustable guard O, which extends longitudinally of said platform, and is so connected therewith as to be adj usted toward and away from the front sill in order to vary the width of the platform to correspond with the varying lengths of grain. The guard is supported at its outer end upon an L-shapcd bracket o3, as

By virtue of this arrangement the best shown in Fig. 1l, the lower end of which i is formed with a saddle o, secured movably upon the frame-section C by a clip o5. By virtue oi' this construction the guard is readily adjustable and can be securely set in any desired position ofadjustment.

In Figs. 3 and 10 is shown the guard P for the elevator-apron, said guard being designed to operate in conjunction with the guard upon the platform. This elevator-guard is hinged at its lower end to the inner yend of the guard O by a bracketp, which carries a curved arm p2, the outer end of which works upon a bolt p3, and is held rearward by a spring p4, surrounding said bolt, the purpose of said spring being to hold the guard P against the grain being carried upward by the elevator-apron.

A tubular cross-bar NV extends rearwardly from the inner divider VW, and the inner or stubble end of the wind-board O is suspended from said bar lV by means of a yoke w', arranged to slide or be adjusted backward and forward on said bar. (See Figs. 2, S, and 10.) The grain passes freely underneath the bar W, and by suspending the guards O and P therefrom they may be freely adjusted back and forth to adapt them to the length of the straw, and at the same time the inner end of the platform-carrier and the lower end of the elevator-table are relieved from all obstruction to the free passage of the grain.

S designates a tubular bar, which is attached at its lower end to the rear sill C, and which extends obliquely upward therefrom. From the under side of this bar S extends a hanger s, bolted to said bar and having at its outer end a bearing for the picker-shaft T. On the rear end of this shaft T is mounted a sprocket-wheelt, which is engaged by the upper part of the drive-chain running over the sprocket-wheels f" r, so as to drive the pickers.

G, in Fig. 14, designates a modified form of bearing for the rear end of the crank-shaft F, said bearing being designed for use in lieu of the sleeve c, before described. This bearing G is formed with an extended base y, which IOO IIO

embraces the upper end of the oblique prtion G2 of the sill-.bar C, and said base y is secured to the portion C2 by two bolts y.

Upon the rear sill C of the platform-frame is bolted an extension-plate V, which extends the full length of the platform.

" dition to the purposes above described, as

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The grain-platform frame provided with the rear sill and end bars formed from a single bar of metal bent into the required shape, in combination with the socketed corner-piece for stiffening said bar at its inner angle, provided with a bearing-sleeve for the secondary or bevelwheel shaft, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the platformframe composed of the front sill and the rear sill, the latter formed in one piece with the end bars of said frame, of the socketed inner rear corner-piece for stiffening the frame, the axle arm or sleeve hinged to said frame-piece, the drive-wheel journaled 011 said arm, and gearing connecting said drivin g-wheel with a secondary shaft having bearings in said rear inner corner frame-piece, substantially as described.

-3. The combination, with the platformframe, of the grain guard or fender adj ustable backward and forward on said frame, and the elevatorguard attached to and adjustable with said fender, so that the grain will be guided from the platform-carrier and up the elevator, said fender and elevator-guard being connected to each other and upheld at their junction by a support connected to the platform-frame only at a point inadvance of the path of the grain over said fra-nie, substantially as described, whereby all obstruction to the passage of the grain is removed, as set forth.

4. The combination, with the main or platform frame, of the grain guard or fender O, adj ustable backward and forward on said frame, the elevator-guard P, hinged to said guard O, and the interposed spring, arranged and operating substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. The platform-frame provided with the grooved guiding standard, in combination with the drive-wheel arm pivoted at one end to said frame and at its other end engaging said standard, and the cushion in said standard interposed between said frame and drivewheel arm, and on which the frame rests for relieving it from the joltin g of the drive-wheel, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 14th day of January, A. D. 1887.

LEWIS MILLER.

Witnesses:

O. L. SADLER, W. K. MEANS. 

